Caravan firm seeks to sell land for housing to fund investment

PLANS to build more than 100 houses to help fund the future expansion plans of a major caravan manufacturer look set to be approved when they go before councillors next week.

Swift Holdings UK Ltd and Redrow Homes (Yorkshire) Ltd want permission to build 108 homes on land to the west of Dunswell Road in Cottingham.

Swift, the UK’s biggest manufacturer of touring caravans and motorhomes, owns the site which was previously used to manufacture and store caravans. Most of it is hardstanding.

According to a report to councillors, the sale of the site is expected to raise 6.65m – which will finance the construction of a new 4m roundabout access onto the A1079 and other highway improvements.

In its application, the company says links between the plans and expansion of commercial activities is “crucial”.

The firm cut more than 300 jobs during the downturn, but during the past year or so has added about 200, to give it a 900-strong workforce. It expects to see sales return to about 200m this year.

Although the design of the latest plan is considered an improvement, increased traffic on Dunswell Road remains a “serious cause of concern” to local residents, according to the report which will be debated at the meeting at County Hall next Thursday.

Other opponents are concerned about the threat of flooding from surface water running off the site.

Cottingham Parish Council has objected after claiming the density of housing is too high and the development is “out of character” in an area where most properties are big and set in large gardens.

Members of Cottingham Flood Action Group are worried that the development will exacerbate drainage problems in the area, which have seen sewers block up and back up.

They say some of the water which flooded nearby properties in 2007 came off the site.

However the Environment Agency has confirmed it will not object as long as a series of conditions are attached to the planning permission.

Hull Council is also backing the development due to its “essential role in securing the expansion of the existing company”.

Officers have stressed the development would “only be justified as an enabling development for the commercial project and could not otherwise be seen to be acceptable.... Members must be satisfied that there is still a genuine need for the site to be developed as proposed in order to facilitate the stated development objectives of Swift.”

They have recommended approval, saying while the development is relatively high density and on the outskirts of Cottingham, it has a “relatively high quality design”, and contains a large area of open space.

More than half the houses would be four-bedroomed, and 14 would be affordable properties.

The report added: “The applicant has indicated that the links between this proposal and the expansion of Swift commercial activities is crucial.”

No-one was available from the company yesterday, but the firm has reported a successful year, following the popularity of holidaying in UK and the weakness of sterling.

The group recently signed a 30m financing agreement with GE Capital to help fund its increase in sales.

Swift is the only company in Europe to manufacture touring caravans, motor homes and holiday homes.

Touring caravans, which are towed behind vehicles, are generally cheaper than motorhomes, which include a built-in engine. Swift has concentrated its range on the lower to middle end of the market, where demand has been strongest.